Monday, June 22, 2009

Morganatic marriage for Mecklenburg duchess





June 22, 1899 

 The marriage of Duchess Victoria Marie Augusta Louise Antoinette Caroline Leopoldine of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, eldest daughter of the Hereditary Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, and Count Maurice George de Jametel was "solemnized quietly" this morning at the chapel of Elizabeth's Catholic Church in Richmond.

After the Roman Catholic service, the bride and groom were driven to the parish church at Kew, where they were remarried according to the rites of the Church of England. 

Duchess Marie is a granddaughter of Princess Augusta of Cambridge, who, in 1843, married Grand Duke Friedrich Wilhelm of Mecklenburg-Strelitz. Augusta continues to maintain close ties to her British family and is said to be close to her niece, the Duchess of York. The New York Times reports that there has been a lot of talk concerning this marriage, due to its "morganatic character." 

 The Court Circular reports that the officiating clergy for the Anglican service included the Rev. Edgar Sheppard, Sub-Dean of the Chapels Royal. The guest list included the Grand Duke and Grand Duchess of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, the Hereditary Grand Duke and Grand Duchess of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, Princess Jutta and Prince Borwin of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, the Duchess of Anhalt-Dessau, the Duke of Cambridge, the Duke and Duchess of York, and Princess Christian of Schleswig-Holstein, Prince and Princess Edward of Saxe-Weimar, Prince and Princess Adolphus of Teck and Princes Francis and Alexander of Teck. 

The Duke of Cambridge, who is the bride's uncle, gave the wedding breakfast at Cambridge House, Kew, after which the newlyweds "left to spend the honeymoon on the Continent."

Duchess Marie received numerous presents, including a "handsomely fitted dressing bag," from Queen Victoria, and from the Princess of Wales "a diamond aigrette for the hair, "together with gifts from all the other members of the German and English Royal Families." 

 Their engagement was announced on May 31.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Thank you for this posting Marlene.

After reading the biography of Queen Mary, written by James Pope-Hennessy I understood so much more about all that was contained in the post.

This biography of Queen Mary is as excellent as you have suggested.

Cheers.